THE FLOWER. 



35 



neighbors, would result in n, compound five-ccllod ovary. Suppose them 

 united to each other from bnse to npex, and one common 8tiy;niii miyjht do 

 for all ; let union talce place only half way up, and there would be a com- 

 pound ovary, but witli five Htyles and live stipmas. The pistils of fetid 

 hellebore (Fig. 03) are united at the base only, and are considered Hiiuplo 

 by some, comi)()und by others. 



Of the pollen and ovul(!S little need bo said hero, save that they have a 

 strict analogy with the fertilizing element and the ovule of animal repro- 

 duction. Both exhibit a great variety of forms. 



Flo. (!?.— Pi'.tlls of fotid hellebore 

 nil i till lit the base. 



Pio. (I'l. — -A lily. VfiTt* (if the flower in threes (l-merons). 



Having thus bi'iefly considereJ the organs which compose the flower, 

 we will now examine their numeri'ml disposition and their arrangement 

 upon the receptacle. 



In exogenous plants the parts of the flowers are commonlj' in ficof or 

 four.% or in multiples of those numbers ; and however much they may 

 differ in this respect, the^' are never completely in threes. In endogenous 

 plants, on the contrary, the habitual arrangement is in threes. This 

 should be borne in mind, since it is another prominent and characteristic 

 mark of difference between these two great divisions of flowering plants. 



In HiJcaking of a flower in respect to the numerical arrangement of its 

 parts, it is said to be 3-merous, 4-merous, or 5-merous (Figs. 04, 

 C5, and 06). 



But here, as elsewhere in plant life, there is endless diversity. A strictly 

 5-merous flower should Imve five sepals, five petals, five stamens, and five 

 pistils, or multiples of this number. Now, in reality such a flower is rare. 

 It would be much easier to find one with five sepals, five petals, ten sta- 



